Good morning!
I find myself unusually excited about the coming month of August and I want you to be excited as well. Here’s a few reasons why you should share my enthusiasm:
- Selling in August is underrated. It’s a huge vacation month, of course, and many of us as well as our customers and prospects are getting some well-deserved time off. However, I urge you not to make the assumption that no one is reachable this month so why bother make the calls. Instead, think of it as playing the lottery with less people buying a ticket: Your odds are better at winning! As such, you and I should have a special sales plan just for this month. After all, how often do you get five full selling weeks?
- Second, August is a month of preparation. I’ve long said people get back into business mode after Labor Day. So, we need to use the time we have now to create a sales push that includes the roughly 90 day period between Labor Day and Thanksgiving. Say it with me: What you do (or don’t do) in that time span will determine how your 2022 ends and how your 2023 will begin. This is month we get ready.
- Finally, August is a chance for us to rest up, get organized, and enjoy the flexibility being in sales gives us. Plus, we can use the time to improve our selling skills. In short, we need to “sharpen the saw” as Stephen Covey would say. After you finish that summer read, pick up a copy of a book which will help you improve your selling skills.
Here are some suggestions:
- “Never Split the Difference” by Chris Voss
- “The Five Elements of Effective Thinking” by Berger and Starbird
- “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz
- “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
- “Essentialism” by Greg McKeown
While I am optimistic about the month of August, I am not naïve enough to think our various sales challenges will be diminished. Paper will still be in short supply. Customers and prospects will still be hard to reach. But my many trips around the sun have taught me to control what I can control. Optimism, preparation, organization, skills-improvement, attitude, and positive assumptions are just a few of those things.
Okay, August, let’s see what you’ve got…
Every sales challenge you’re facing has been solved by someone else. Find ideas, inspiration, and continuous sales growth through The Sales Vault community. For more information, go to SalesVault.pro. I can be reached at 781-934-7036 or bill@salesvault.pro.
